Springtime Walking Route around the Popular Cherry Blossom Destination:
Gotenyama

The starting point for the walking route is Gotenyama Trust City. At the Gotenyama Garden, you’ll find cherry blossoms lined along the walking path in full bloom.

On March 25th and 26th, the 2016 Gotenyama Cherry Blossom Festival was held. At this festival, visitors were treated to courtesan processions and Kendama (a Japanese-style ball and cup game) shows , as well as visits to outdoor stalls set up around the venue providing festival-goers with the perfect things to go along with their cherry blossom viewing, such as Nodate outdoor tea ceremonies and Oden(Japanese hot pot).

Something particularly popular at the festival were the Shinagawa Rickshaws, which are completely white and individual made-to-order; you’ll know one when you see it. While visitors are usually shown around the notable tourist spots in the Shinagawa area on a reservation basis, this time around, guests were treated to stories relating to the history of cherry blossoms in Gotenyama as they enjoyed the view aboard rickshaws on the Gotenyama Trust City grounds. While the route itself takes only minutes to complete, there was a queue of people waiting to get their turn.

After you’ve got your fill of the cherry blossoms at Gotenyama Trust City, why not take a stroll along the Gotenyama-Street, a street that faces the south side of Gotenyama Garden.

From the cherry blossoms in front of the entrance to Hisui Genseki Kan, to the cherry blossom tunnel in front of the Myanmar embassy and the row of cherry blossom trees at beside the Gotenyama House, walking along roads abound with cherry blossoms gives one a sense of exhilaration and really puts you in the spirit of cherry blossom viewing.

Go past the railway track and you’ll find gorgeous cherry blossoms on the grounds of Shinagawa Joshi Gakuin. After a brief, captivating look at the blossoms, cross Daiichi Keihin and head towards the shopping district found on Kitashinagawa-Hondori, the old Tokaido road.

You’ll find the perfect snacks for your cherry blossom viewing at shops such as Masuoken, which is famous for its yaki-dangos, or Akioka, popular for its seaweed-wrapped Sembei and Shinagawa Maki treats. The Shinagawa Shukuba Rolls found at the western sweets shop known as KYO-AN, are characterized by a lineup springtime flavors such as strawberries and green tea and come recommended to visitors.

You cannot miss the brilliant cherry blossoms found at Hinkai Park located within the shopping district.

Once you have got your hands on some delicious treats, go through the shopping district and cross Yamate-Dori and head to the Meguro River. While all of the parks in the Gotenyama area have beautifully blooming cherry blossoms, the Kitahama Park located right beside the Meguro River doesn’t just have cherry blossoms, it also has flower beds which bloom all at once in the spring; here, it truly is springtime. Everything you’ll experience here will have you smiling before you know it.

Both banks on the Meguro River have cherry blossom trees planted all over, meaning that seeing the cherry blossoms at the appropriate time really make for a must-see sight. The area at Chinjyubashi, a vermillion-colored bridge located in front of Ebara Shrine, is also popular as a spot to take photographs. There, you’ll see many people enjoying the cherry blossoms from atop the water as well in their houseboats, canoes and the like. When one thinks of cherry blossom viewing at the Meguro River, people usually think of the famous cherry blossom viewing area at Nakameguro; however, don’t forget that Kitashinagawa is another destination where you’ll be able to get your fill of delicate springtime landscapes.

The time to see the cherry blossoms this year was from the end of March to early April, meaning that we all got a good long opportunity to enjoy them. We know that you’re looking forward to seeing them next year, so please feel free to use this route as a reference for yourself.